If you’re a college student trying to decide where to study abroad next semester, Florence needs to be at the top of your list. Florence is the perfect location for college students to mix learning with fun. The city’s rich history combined with its walkability, vibrant nightlife, food, and Instagram-worthy scenery make it the ideal spot for students to expand their intercultural intelligence while gaining life-changing new experiences. Studying abroad is more than just being a tourist for an extended period of time, it allows students to fully assimilate to a new culture by learning their values and traditions. In addition to this, Florence has a vast student community because of its lively lifestyle, food, proximity to other cities, and affordability.

In Florence, you do not just study history, you walk through it on your way to class. Florence has a rich artistic and cultural history that surrounds you at every corner. Professors use this to their advantage to create a hands-on classroom. Lessons are frequently based on museums, city tours, food markets, and cooking classes, making everyday looking a little different. The city is perfect for majors like art, communications, food studies, architecture, and history. My first on-site class consisted of wandering around a contemporary art museum, Museo Novecento, where I not only learned about contemporary art but saw it in person. This is when I realized that this would not be a typical college lecture.

College dining halls do not stand a chance against Florence. Florence is known for its local, delicious food. As a college student, it has been easy to find high-quality, yet affordable food without even trying. Panini shops, trattorias, and bakeries are on every corner and serve amazing food at very reasonable prices. Markets like Mercato Centrale and Sant’Ambrogio offer both ready-to-eat food and fresh ingredients to cook at home at a low cost. Lots of Florence’s culture is demonstrated in their food, so it is crucial to try traditional Florentine dishes like ribollita, schiacciata sandwiches, biscotti, truffle pasta, and many more. Food culture in Italy is drastically different from the United States, with Florence’s emphasis on social eating and taking the time to appreciate the food in front of you.  

One of Florence’s most underrated traits is its walkability. There is rarely a need for a bus or a car because everything is just a walk away. As a college student, this saves lots of money, time, and stress. On the rare occasion that automotive transportation is necessary, the public transportation is easy to navigate, even if it is your first time living abroad. In addition to this, Florence is a very student friendly city. Locals are used to the student community so they often are happy to have a quick chat or help you out! There are Cafes and piazzas on just about every block, serving as study sports whenever you need.

Florence is the best home base for cheap and easy travel. There is an airport located in Florence that is a short tram ride away. In addition to this, there are a multitude of airports accessible via train, like Rome Fiumicino, Rome Ciampino, Bologna, and Pisa. Not to mention the day trips to nearby towns like Siena, Lucca, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Rome, and Bologna. With student-friendly options like FlixBus and Italo trains, quick getaways are both affordable and convenient. Each region also offers its own must-try specialty, from pesto in Liguria to seafood in Venice, making every trip a chance to eat your way through Italy. Weekend travel becomes one of the biggest perks of studying abroad, letting you explore more of the country without breaking your budget.

Florence is where you build friendships from all over the world. Because of Florence’s rich population of study abroad students there is a diverse mix of American, local, and European international students. There are frequent events specifically for students like food festivals, aperitivo nights, and museum discounts. Students have even developed their own local favorites, making them student hotspots in cafes, gelaterias, study lounges, and bars. All of these student activities and hotspots make Florence feel like a small campus inside a big cultural city.

Studying abroad allows students to develop life skills that future employers value. Students develop a strong sense of independence and adaptability by being fully responsible for themselves. They have to become comfortable stepping out of their shell and develop important communication skills. These skills help to understand global perspectives, necessary for business, communications, fashion, and hospitality.

Overall, Florence offers far more than a semester of beautiful views and great food, it provides an environment where students can grow academically, personally, and culturally. From its immersive classrooms and vibrant student community to its unmatched travel opportunities and affordability, the city creates an experience that shapes you long after you return home. Studying abroad in Florence is not just a chance to explore a new country, but an opportunity to expand your worldview, strengthen valuable life skills, and create lasting memories. For any college student deciding where to study abroad, Florence is a destination that truly transforms your semester and yourself

Cheers!

Written by Lucie Schlegel, Molly Hallam, Lynese Bowen, and Angelly Solis